The municipality of Huron East is now a willing host for the St. Columban Wind Farm

Usually when a motion is passed or rejected, the municipality of Huron East simply moves forward according to the number of hands put up, but not this time as the topic at hand involved one of the most controversial topics to date-wind turbines.

Three years ago council was offered a Vibrancy Fund Agreement from the St. Columban Wind Farm, which operates 15 wind turbines.

In the contract, it specified that they were prepared to give Huron East $115,000 annually for 20 years, but this significant contribution of funds would come with a catch, council must agree that they are a “willing host.”

Council turned down the offer.

However, these past qualms would never be thrown under the rug permanently. CAO of Huron East, Brad Knight admitted that numerous councillors have asked if the option could possibly be brought back to the table, since that initial decision.

During the traditional bi-weekly December 6 meeting, the Mayor of Huron East, Bernie MacLellan presented council with a motion concerning the previously declined proposal.

Two weeks later he requested it to be reviewed in the council chambers during their last meeting before the holidays.

Huron East Against Turbines (HEAT) was on hand in anticipation and hoped that the political assemblage would once again turn down the more than $2 million agreement.

The motion carried and the HEAT members gathered outside of council, disappointed with council’s decision.

“The Mayor was wrong on two issues, the province did not pass (a) moratorium on wind turbines, they are simply suspended,” explained Gerry Ryan after the motion was passed.

“He’s misinformed and now he’s misinforming the public.”

Ryan also said he is more than disappointed in Steffler’s actions seeing how he’s on the health board.

With a crackle in his voice that seemed to come from a place of emotion, Ryan said that to the best of his knowledge the deputy mayor is the one who put the motion on the floor for the health board to conduct an investigation.

Steffler’s reason for being in favour of the motion stemmed from numbers provided by the Mayor. Calculations estimated that the wind turbines yearly payments would cover roughly three per cent of the municipal taxes per resident.

“That’s equivalent to a lot of property taxes,” he said.

“The turbines are going to turn whether we accept it or don’t accept it.”

The Mayor promised if the contract ever did go sour in the future and they did not agree with what St. Columban was asking, they would basically just end the contract.